A Psychologist Gangster's Best Films Of 2015

Every film on this list is a masterpiece, considerable as the respective genre's best film of the year 2015.

Criminal Activities
Best Script

Don Verdean
Religious Metaphors

Time Out Of Mind
Life Experience

SPL 2
Pure Art

Mad Max: Fury Road

Masterful Moviemaking

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
Really Trying

*Stanford Prison Experiment*

Why unrestricted authority is always bad

American Hero
Best of its genre (social commentary character study)

Shelter
Released in December 2015 in the UK. Simple served well, results in density. Tearjerker of the year. Virtual Sequel to requiem for a dream. Paul Bettany?.. hmm...

Big Short
Most Depressing

Cub
Purest Horror movie of the year

Irrational Man
Resonating Joyride

Why Don't You Play In Hell?
Best film I have seen all year

Special Mentions:
Knight Of Cups
Tangerine

I Love An Old Night In Mexico - Movie Review (sorta)

A Night in Old Mexico just earned itself a spot on my 'most favourite movies of all time' list', no mean feat considering how many films I manage to watch. It's a heart-warming and riveting tale of universal masculine wish fulfillment.

As the title suggests, the story spans a long evening (actually a little more) in (and outside of) Old Mexico. A grandson meets his grandfather and they enjoy a risky night of good living, featuring hoodlums, a depressed beauty, cheap hats and a bag of money.

There's just something timelessly special about this film, it seems like it could be set in the eighties and looks to still be enjoyable years from now.

Its astonishing quality seems to be derived from the nervous expressions of the lead youngster, the wise cockiness of the lead elder, the comical loving natures of the antagonists, a grittily endearing locale and the literal fantasy that is the lead female. Uplifting story arcs are the icing on the cake, solidifying its surface to a deeply sweet pleasantry.

Check this film out if you love your father...

Zulu & Snowpiercer Movie Review - SSMR

Zulu (2013)

#True detectives run around South Africa getting things off their chests.

#A truly hardcore show, with violence at a level of realistic brutality you're not usually allowed to see in the west. A gripping, tense and intriguing story that is easy to lose track of and may just bring you back for another round.

#Albeit grounded and somewhat mundane, the skilful and bright cinematography makes the film a joy to have on the screen making up for the excruciating soundtrack that is full flavoured but peaks way too high at the worst possible times.

#One to watch for free or purchase cheaply if you can find it.

# - # - #   -   - 3.1/5

Snowpeircer (2014)

#Metaphorical class struggle on a cold train speeding into the future.

#Edited flawlessly, the emotive visuals are spectacularly skillful. The action scenes leave a lot to be desired in terms of display but overflow with drama. This is a cleanly scored film that is hard to criticise.

#The story is gripping and well written, for its type, benefited by its simplicity with a twist ending that shouldn't really be one. The cast, spearheaded by the awesome Chris Evans, perform wonderfully minus Tilda Swinton who doesn't quite deliver a convincing and complete character, here the supporting cast truly supports.

#A galvanising and memorable experience, pay to watch once on a big screen.

# - # - # - # -   - 4.2/5

Monkey King SSMR - movie review

Konkey Ming (2013)

#Crystal monkey god gets in the way of a fight between a supreme dictatorship and a good evil demon tribe (I know).

#The masterfully paced yet nonsensical story is fantastically gripping with hugely developed characters and allegorical capability.

#All of the cast does well with their easy roles but Donnie surprises with his difficult one, presenting an amazing comic performance that seems to channel Jim Carey, Kevin Hart and an old lady suffering dementia.

#Although not uniformly competent in terms of technicality, everything is lavish. Its colourful, artistic and highly stylised aesthetic surpasses everything seen in the 300 films and delights with its variety. The bad stuff only serves to highlight the good.

#Memorable slice of family friendly fun, buy the Blu-ray.

# - # - # - # -   -  4.0 / 5

Raze Movie Review SSMR

SSMR stands for Short N Sweet Movie Review

Shame The Devil / Ganzfield Haunting SSMR

Don Jon / Blue Iz Da Warmest Color SSMR

SEXY TIME  EDITION

SSMR: The Suspect / Concussion Movie Review

Kill 'Em All / After Earth Movie Review SSMR

Megan is Missing

Okay, so I've just seen Megan is Missing, what a disturbing film, you might want to see it... 

The way to tell if a film is truly disturbing is if you really really don’t want to watch it again, this is one of those films.

The 2011 found-footage style film follows 2 fourteen year old girls, happily enjoying their sexuality at parties, in bedrooms and on chatrooms, who get kidnapped and murdered by a calmly convincing and creepy psychopath.

The film is exceptionally produced and directed; making it easy to believe that the events are real. Only a small number of times was the acting unconvincing, removing you from the story’s reality. 

Nevertheless, this production is harrowing, immersing and unapologetic in its honesty, managing to present a real-life nightmare that everyone can relate to but entertains without need for discretion for the most part.

The ending is guaranteed to be unforgettable.. if you can watch it all..

Watch at your peril… 

BOOKMARK THE HOMEPAGE!!!

Java Heat / American Mary Movie Review SSMR

Java Heat (2013)
# Brilliant photography, tones and lighting; the film looks wonderful. Features some beautiful locations and surprisingly high production values for a movie of its budget but unfortunately some of the editing is mis-timed.
# Ario Bayu holds the film together with acting skill whilst hot-man Kellan Lutz is likable, putting on an immature yet respectable performance as a homoerotic marine. Mickey Rourke has an easy job.
# The films highly interesting story is well written, fairly complex and skillfully paced with a pleasing twist or two.
# A thrilling escapade through the colorful Chinese-Arab Java worth watching only for free.
 #-#-#-#- -  3.8/5

American Mary (2012)
# Hot chick, Katharine Isabelle, plays wooden as a psycho with funny stick legs deteriorating in morals as her doll-faced acquaintance Tristan Risk gets you accustomed to weird plastic visages and ugly body modifications.
# Completely worthless without a message or valuable look at the unusual subject matter; made to milk the body-mod community and not represent it.
# Some creepy imagery and scenes, competent cinematography and lighting. From their contributions, the Soska sisters are talentless.
# Weak as a horror, drama or art piece. With no story it is barely worth a single free viewing.
 #-#- - - -  2.1/5


ABC's of Death + Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters SSMR
Upside Down SSMR
Django Not Funny

ABC's of Death / Hansel & Gretel Film Review :: SSMR

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013) 
#The cast is merely competent with Jeremy Renner coming off neatly but Gemma Arterton delivers too many lines with discomfort and quickly becomes annoying, the capable supporting cast props this film up from a slump.
#The CGI, looking like a student piece, is laughable and the costumes look cheap and unoriginal. Locations are also boring and uninspired.
#The story is an unsurprising, cliched 2+1 affair with a few lacklustre action-scenes that are unimaginative and simplistic and no big or impressive scenarios. The film looks like a B-movie despite its multi-million dollar budget.
#A completely worthless and forgettable distraction. Not worthy of even a free viewing. The producers have basically sold an idea to the hordes with the near irresistible promotion material.
#-#- - - - 1.7/5

ABC's of Death (2012)

#All of the acting from the long list of cast members is well shot, directed and convincing.
#Interesting throughout, shot in 25 varying styles, amazingly none of the segments outstay their welcome.
#The collection incorporates nearly all styles of horror and some of the short stories have a twist at the end.
#A brilliant and memorable compilation of sharp and original ideas with very few duds leaving a memorable lasting impression. One to purchase in high quality for numerous replays with friends and family.
#-#-#-#- - 3.8/5